AgeTek Newsletter
From the Chairman Peter Radsliff
NEW AGETEK WEBSITE PROGRESSING
Great progress has been made on the new AgeTek website. Not only has the board website subcommittee vetted three website development firms and their bids, we have developed an architecture for the site and a basic framework is now ready for initial review on a test site. Our intent is to have the site up before this Holiday season and to have it be an important place on the Internet to showcase solutions for aging in place. See later in this newsletter for a request for content for your company’s listing.
PRE-CES WORKSHOP & GENERAL MEETING
AgeTek was invited to co-sponsor a special Silvers Summit workshop the day before CES. This workshop is being run by the Silvers Summit people but the AgeTek board provided assistance in the development of the curriculum. There is a cost for this workshop, and AgeTek is not involved with that, but, Silvers Summit has generously offered to let us use the facilities after the workshop for an AgeTek meet-n-greet followed by our Annual Meeting. I encourage all AgeTek members to dedicate one or
more of their employees to sign-up for the workshop (be sure to ask for your AgeTek discount – you save $50!). But whether or not you attend the workshop, BE SURE you attend the AgeTek meet-n-greet and Annual Meeting from 5:30 P.M. — 8:30 P.M.
Sign-up here: http://bit.ly/silversworkshop or, see the workshop flyer which is appended to this newsletter.
LAST CHANCE TO JOIN AGETEK PAVILLION AT CES
There is still one spot left in the AgeTek Pavilion at CES. This is a collection of exhibitors sharing a multi-booth space under the AgeTek imprimatur. My company is participating so that we can take advantage of what I believe will be greater interest from press and attendees to the AgeTek name than I could get alone. I suggest you look at this again if you haven’t already made plans for CES. It could be a cost-effective and no hassle way for you to get the most out of CES.
AARP’S NEW DIRECTOR OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
I had a chance to have dinner this week with a number of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Mary Furlong and AARP’s new Director of Thought Leadership, Jody Holtzman. It was a lively conversation where Jody and Jeff Makowka presented AARP’s plans to extend their brand to be as much about living well as it is about aging well. Jody is an influential guy with a ton of good ideas. He said that it is a major initiative for AARP to find out how to best support technology entrepreneurs that serve their members plus they expressed strong support for AgeTek itself. It was a great meeting, albeit early in the process,
but I came away truly impressed with what was said. Thanks to Mary Furlong for being sure to include AgeTek in the event.
Here’s wishing you a strong Q4,
Peter Radsliff
Chairman of the Board
Aging Technology Alliance
From the Secretary
Michele Ahlman
EMAIL
To all AgeTek Regular Members:
It’s hard to believe we are well into the 4th quarter of 2010. I’m still working on getting my head around the idea that we are already 10 years into the 21st century!
It’s voting season! Not just for some of our D.C. friends but for AgeTek as well. Attached is a ballot for our 2011 Board. Please take a moment to review and complete right now! Ballots must be completed and postmarked by October 28th. Or, if sending electronically, they must be received by October 29th (see email and fax instructions on the ballot which is appended to this newsletter). The tally will be complete by Nov 5th. Results will be posted on the web site.
We look forward to an exciting 2011!
Thank you for your participation.
Kindest Regards,
Michele Ahlman
Secretary of the Board of Directors
Aging Technology Alliance
From the membership committee chair
EMAIL
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Growth & Membership Committee to personally welcome all the new AgeTek members to the organization. Since the last newsletter you received, the following new members have joined: Halo Monitoring, National Alliance for Caregiving, VRI, Posit Science, BeClose, Happy Elder Corp., At GuardianAngel, Inc., and HB Building and Design, Inc.
The membership committee is not only working hard to enlarge our member base for the benefit of all of our members; we also want you to know that we are here for all of you and welcome your suggestions.
Our goals are simple – we want to increase the number of our members substantially over the next few months as well as ensure we are continuously meeting and exceeding the expectations of both new and old members.
How can you help? Please reach out to any member on our committee (Scott Collins, Joe MacAdams or Karen Routt) and share any thoughts you have regarding your membership. We are currently reaching out to all individuals and companies who have shown interest in joining the Alliance and will soon embark on an e-mail outreach campaign as well.
If you have any non-proprietary lists of companies who might benefit from membership in AgeTek please share them with us. We promise to take good care of your information. If you have any potential members you would like us to contact just let us know and we will take it from there. You can e-mail me directly
Thanks again for being a member of the Aging Technology Alliance.
Warmest Regards,
Shana Duthie
Committee chair, Growth & Membership Committee
From the board: awareness
EMAIL
The Awareness and Promotion committee is responsible for making sure there is real value to members by promoting the value of regular member products and services to the outside world. Examples include procuring discounts and strategic consolidations at tradeshows, creation and promotion of member directories, et al. It is also responsible for creating opportunities for associate members to access the regular members to promote their wares.
With the new website coming, this is a great opportunity to have another vehicle to drive awareness to your company and product. We are looking for committee members and a chairman for this all-important function. Please let me know if you wish to participate and in what capacity. It’s time to step-up and help the Alliance with your talents to provide awareness and promotion for all of our members.
Sincerely,
Laura Mitchell
Board Sponsor, Awareness & Promotion Committee
You are Invited to register for an exciting pre‐CES Workshop:
The Silver Tsunami’ is Coming: Is Your Company Ready?
Wednesday Afternoon ‐‐ January 5, 2011, Las Vegas
AgeTek member companies: $99, non‐members $149
If you plan to target one of the largest and fastest‐growing markets;
specifically the Boomer
Consumer and their elder parents, you will have to get ready and get
the inside information. Learn from companies and thought‐leaders how
to develop a plan for success.
Boomers and their parents continue to be the most powerful consumers in the marketplace, despite an increasingly challenging economy. In the United States alone, there are more than 108 million people over age 45, a group with more than $2.5 trillion in annual spending power. The 78 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964 make up 28% of the U.S. population and own more than 77% of all financial assets, and the number of Americans age 65 and older is set to double by the year 2030. Your company cannot afford to miss this market opportunity.
Agenda:
1:00 – 2:00pm Branding Your Products to the Boomer/Senior Consumer –
Create the Plan. Learn how to create a brand and message that
resonates for the boomer/senior market. What is the most powerful media vehicle to reach this audience? Plus,
how do you create advertising on a shoestring budget that creates response? We
want you to walk away from this session with a plan you can implement when you get back
to the office.
2:00 – 3:00pm Channel Roulette: View from inside the Retail, Catalog
or VAR Channels
Learn from the channel‐side when a new vendor shows up to pitch their
wares, what is the magic formula that will get them to want you on the shelf or in
the catalog or offer your services. The panelist will discuss what motivates them to
chose a brand or product, how they test new product concepts, what defines successful
sell‐through and how does pricing play a role.
3:00 – 4:00PM You know Social Media is Hot… But How do you Make it Pay off?
If you plan a social media marketing strategy it is essential that it
includes mechanisms to assess business value. It might be a value placed on increased
product awareness, or solid sales leads or cost savings in reduction of print advertizing
cost. ROI is easier to obtain if there is a goal set for the social media campaign.
Regardless of how value is determined, social media needs to be validated as a profitable
marketing channel. Learn from companies that have leveraged social media to their benefit.
3:00 – 4:00PM Creating Partnerships and Strategic Alliances
The marketplace is rich with potential partners for strategic
alliances. Potential partners can be competitors, more often they are other businesses that provide
complementary goods and services. Sometimes powerful partnerships can be created between
companies that have seemingly little in common. . Hear from companies
that looked both inside and outside this market for alliance partners. Learn
what to look for in a potential alliance and how to make this happen.
5:30 ‐8:30pm – 1st AgeTek Industry Alliance Annual Meeting and Networking Event
For more Information: suminfo@silverssummit.com
